Greensboro music fans unite! You’re in for a treat – a new venue downtown will open it’s doors in January. I, for one, would like to say: it’s about time. Andrew Dudek, the owner of local record shop Gate City Noise, has decided to start a new chapter in his life. First, he closed the doors to his shop after a massive sale at the end of October. Now he plans to open The Flying Anvil, a new venue similar in size, ambiance, and bookings to that of the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina. Dudek plans to host live music as often as 15 nights a month, with bands playing genres ranging from reggae to hip hop to indie to funk.

Gate City Noise has always been Dudek’s baby. It started out as just a local music shop for indie and skater kids. But over its five-year existence, it has evolved into a place for local bands to play, including Dudek’s own Dawn Chorus and the Guilford-associated Tiger Bear Wolf. In addition, thanks to Dudek’s booking knowledge, a few more mainstream artists have found themselves on stage in Gate City Noise, such as John Darnielle, the lead singer of The Mountain Goats.

After seeing how successful these shows were, Dudek decided to open a new venue. He figured it would be a nice way to get more mainstream bands through Greensboro, especially those who normally skip over the city to go to places like The Orange Peel in Asheville, The Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, and Ziggy’s in Winston-Salem.

“I’m tired of Chapel Hill being the only place cool for music, and I’m tired of Greensboro being this sleepy, working-class city. Let’s make lemonade out of the lemons we’ve got. My new motto is ‘Aim high.’ I hope the Army doesn’t sue me. But you’ve got to be positive,” said Dudek, according to GoTriad!

The Flying Anvil will be located on East Lewis Street. It will occupy a 12,000 square-foot automotive garage.

“It’s going to be awesome. When you get inside, there’s going to be a huge bar to your right and a smaller stage for local bands on your left. In the back is where the big stage will be,” said junior Maggie Bamberg, who worked with Dudek at Gate City Noise. In addition, the garage is just big enough to squeeze the new incarnation of Gate City Noise into an 800 square-foot area. Every inch will be packed with music from both mainstream and independent musicians. Dudek also plans to have practice space upstairs for local bands.

The venue should be a great addition to Greensboro nightlife, giving students who aren’t interested in dance clubs to attend shows locally.

“A lot of Guilford students travel to go see concerts. I’m glad there’s a closer alternative with a lot of potential. Plus, it’ll save money on gas,” said sophomore Kate Shusterman.

Let’s be honest, Greensboro is not the most lively city. But with the opening of The Flying Anvil, Greensboro’s downtown scene will get the shot in the arm it has been needing.